Machine for tapping mains under pressure



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-She et 1.

P. ELEY.

MAGHINE FOR TAPPING MAINSUNDBR PRESSURE. N0. 511;?)21; PatentediDeo. 26, 1- 93.

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(NoModeL) 2 Sheets'- Sheet 2. "P. ELEY'. v I MACHINE FOR TAPPING MAINS UNDER PRESSURE.

No. 511,327. Patented Dec. 26, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP ELEY, OF BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR TAPPING MAINS UNDER PRESSURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 511,327, dated December 26, 1893.

Application filed February 23, 1893- Scrial No. 463,304. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PHILIP ELEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bayonne, in

the county of Hudson and State of New J ersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Tapping Mains Under Pressure, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the same.

This invention is an improvement in machines for tapping Water, gas or other mains, and connecting branches orlaterals therewith after said pipes are laid and while under pressure, and without shutting off the water or gas. Machines for this purpose have been for a long time known and used, and have usually been of the following general character: A casing has been provided which could be permanently connected with the dead end of a plugged branch or which formed part of' or was adapted for connection with a sectional sleeve applied to the main at the point which it is desired tomake the connection,by means of an ordinary hub and spigot on the two parts respectively. This casing contained a permanent valve of the usual character employed in branches, and its outer end was formed or adapted for temporary connection with the tapping apparatus proper or permanent connection with the pipes which, after the tap was made, were to constitute the branch or lateral. The manner of using these devices was to connect the valve casing and tapping or drilling mechanism to the main and to raise the valve. By suitable appliances a cutter head on a drill shaft was then run past the valve and caused to cut out from the side of the main, or from the plug, when such was used, a circular disk. withdrawn through the valve chamber with the drilling tool and the valve closed. The cutting apparatus is then detached, and the branch pipes connected with the valve chamber. This plan necessitates the employment of an expensive valve close to the junction of each branch with the main, whether it be desirable in such location or not, so that in cases where it is more convenient to place a valve at some other point more or less remote from the junction for the purpose of controlling the branch, an extra valve must be used.

This is then- The chief object of my present invention is to obviate this, and to provide a means for temporarily shutting oif the branch while the tapping machine is being removed and the branch pipes connected, and then withdrawing the same, or its principal portion, for use in other branches.

The invention further involves certain improvements in details of the mechanism employed which will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of myirnproved tapping apparatus. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section in line sca: of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modification in a portion of the apparatus. Fig. 1 illustrates the case of amain which is unprovided with plugged branches.

A is a water, gas or other main. At any given point, when a tap or branch connection is to be made, a sectional sleeve B is placed around the pipe and properly packed and leaded. On one, or it may be on both sides, of the sleeve is a short branch or casing 0 provided with a flange a. Close to the sleeve B this branch contains a gateway having a facing of lead or soft metal D,which secures a tight joint and obviates the necessity which would otherwise exist of truing the surfaces, and suitable guides, shown at E, in Figs. 1 and 4, for a sliding plate or gate.

Each of the short branches or casings above described is provided with a metal plate F, the lower or inner edge of which is formed into an inclined flange e Which engages with a beveled edge f of the casing and prevents the said plate from being entirely withdrawn from the same. The plate F has also on its upper or outer edge one or more lugs or bars f provided with screw holes by means of which it is joined to the main gate, hereinafter described. Below the opening or gateway in the branch and on the side of the main to branch by lowering the plate F and the parts connected therewith. When the branch is closed, the lower edge of plate F extends partly into the recess G, as shown at the left in Fig. 1.

In the operation of making a tap the drilling apparatusistemporarily secured tothe flanged end of the branch 0, and the cutter head run in and caused to severadisk from the side of the main. It is then withdrawn sufficiently to permit of the closing of the gate. To the exposed edge of the plate F is to be connected a plate H, which will form with plate F a com-' plete gate or valve. This is to be forced down either by hand or by any convenient means, such as a bracket and screw K temporarily attached by bolts to suitable flanges J provided therefor on the sleeve 13 or casing. This plate being forced against the soft metal faci n g D, and being backed by a facing D of the same metal where it enters the gateway forms an effective valve shutting off the Water as perfectly as may be desired for the further operation of disconnecting the tapping apparatus and connecting the pipes of the branch or lateral. After these lateral operations have been performed the plates H, F, are.

raised, until the passage in the branch is entirely clear, and the plate F withdrawn as far as its inclined flange permits. The plate 11 is then disconnected and the plate F left to permanently close the opening in the branch. The lead facings D D on each side of the plate F may be packed, or completed, when only partially formed before the final operation of closing the branch.

When the main is provided with short or dead branches closed by cylindrical plugs L, as shown in Fig. 4, the same apparatus may be used, but in this caseit is necessary to use in place of the sleeve B, casings G with special provision for joining them to the bell-mouth of the branches. This plan Ihave described more in detail in my Patent No. 438,740, dated October 21, 1890.

The instrumentalities for cutting out the section of pipe are mounted in suitable supports that may be attached to the end of the branch 0, and comprising achamber M which forms a continuation of the branch when joined thereto, and into which the drill shaft enters through a proper stuffing-box.

The drill shaft R carries an annular cutter head or milling tool N. It is designed to be turned by a gear wheel N secured to it by a spline and which receivesits movement from a pinion N on the shaft 1 that is rotated by a wrench or any devices suitable for the purpose.

The sides 0 O of the casting that constitutes the frame for supporting the drilling mechanism are threaded on their inner faces and an exteriorly threaded nut P which is loose on the drill shaft engages with them. In front of nut P is a collar or nut P that is fixed to the drill shaft, and hence if the nut P be turned it will travel over the threads of the side bars 0 and force the collar P and the drill shaft forward. The centering drill point Q for the cutter head is connected by a swivel joint toa rod Q that extends centrally through the drill shaft R. A portion of the rod Q near its end is threaded and passes through an internally threaded cap-nut R on the end of the drill shaft. Normally, therefore, the rod and drill point move longitudinally with the drill shaft, but by turning the rod Q with a wrench the drill point may be advanced or withdrawn with respect to the annular milling tool. The independent movement in the direction of the axes of the milling tool and centering drill secures several advantages, among which may be specially noted the fact that less space back of the valve is required for containing both when withdrawn. Consequently the size and weight of the apparatus, as a whole, may be very much reduced. Itis necessary, however, that the drill point and milling tool rotate together, and for this purpose the former is keyed to the latter by a feather 'm entering a groove n in the drill Q, but the swivel joint between the drill and the rod Q permits the said rod to be turned in the drill shaft independently of the center drill. A small hole is drilled in the shank of the center drill and into this is driven a hardened steel pin T with a chisel or cutting point that projects slightly above the stock. The cutting pin or projection should be placed back of the drill point a space greater than the thickness of the material which is to be drilled, so that after the drill has pierced the wall of the pipe or other object the pin will still be out of contact with the same.

My method of using this device is as fol-- lows: The apparatus having been adjusted in position to tap a main, in the manner above described, I advance. the center drill through the main shaft ahead of the annular cutting head, and then by turning the main drill shaft I drill the center hole through the side of the main. As soon as the center drill has fully pierced the side of the main, I turn the shaft Q and force forward the center drill until the projecting pin T has passed into the main. The hardened end of the pin T cuts a shallow groove in the wall of the hole made by the drill, and having once passed beyond the same it serves as a retaining device which withdraws the disk severed by the annular tool when the latter is subsequently Withdrawn.

In practice I have found that the force required to drive the pin T through the hole made by the drill, even when the pin happens to strike the groove made by it on entering the main, is sufficient to insure the withdrawal of the disk under all circumstances. After the center drill has pierced the side of the pipe and has been advanced sufliciently to carry the pin T through the hole thus made, the main shaft is again turned until the annular cutter has pierced the side of the main and severed a circular section from the same.

The above described apparatus possesses pre-eminently the merits of simplicity, inexpensiveness andstrength. There is a further and special advantage in the combination of the annular cutting tool and the axially adjustable centering point, for the reason that in difierent kinds of work it is often very desirable to bring the annular cutter well up to its work before centering, this being particularly the case in tapping the cylindrical plugs above referred to, when the long centering drills heretofore used frequently cause the milling tool to cut through portions of the side walls of the plug.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In an apparatus for tapping Water and other mains under pressure, the combination with a casing adapted for attachment to the main, and a drilling mechanism connected therewith, of a sliding plate entering an opening in the side of the casing and forming a gate or valve within the same, said plate being composed of detachable sections, one of which closes the opening into said casing when the plate is raised or partially withdrawn, as set forth.

2. In an apparatus for tapping water and other mains under pressure, the combination with a casing adapted for attachment to a main and a drilling apparatus connected therewith, of a sliding plate entering an opening in the side of the casing and forming a gate or valve within the same, said plate being composed of a section having a flange along its lower edge to prevent its removal from the casing and an upper section detachable from the other.

3. The combination in a tapping machine with a frame having side bars threaded on their inner faces, of a drill shaft parallel with said bars, a collar fixed to said shaft, and a nut loose upon said shaft and having threads on its periphery engaging with the side bars whereby the drill shaft may be fed forward by turning said nut, as set forth.

4. The combination with an annular milling tool of a centering drill, mechanism for rotating and feeding the milling tool and drill simultaneously, and mechanism for advancing or withdrawing the drill independ ently of the milling tool, as set forth.

5. The combination with an annular milling tool, of a centering drill adjustable axially independently of the milling tool and provided with a hardened cutting point extending laterally from the shank for engaging with the material through which the drill has passed, whereby the part severed by the milling tool may be withdrawn by the drill.

6. The combination with the casing adapted to be secured to a main and provided with a gateway or guide, of the sliding plate composed of a lower sectionF having an inclined enlargement or flange f along its lower edge, and which is adapted to close the opening through which the plate enters the casing and when the plate is raised, and a plate H detachable from the plate F, as set forth.

7. The combination of an annular milling tool, a sleeve supporting the same and mechanism for rotating and feeding the same, a drill rod extending through the sleeve and engaging with a threaded nut or cap thereon, a drill connected to the rod by a swivel joint, and a spline connection between the milling tool and drill.

8. In a machine for tapping mains, the combination with a valve casing adapted to be secured to the main, an annular milling-tool arranged to be moved through the casing to opposite sides of the gateway or Valve, and a centering drill movable axially independently of the milling tool, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of February, 1893.

PHILIP ELEY.

Witnesses:

N. TAYLOR PHILLIPS, ROBT. F. GAYLORD. 

